Not Quite Real
by Aria6
Summary: AU! Starrk is a prototype espionage android. His life should have followed a predictable pattern... pass his tests and examinations then take up his career as the first android spy. However, when things go wrong Starrk is left with nothing but the final command of his deceased handler... to protect his son. And the android will do it, but at what cost? Starrk/Ichigo
1. Chapter 1

Bullet after bullet went home with unerring precision. The shooter was not targeting the bullseye. No, he was going for the little corner markers, creating cloverleafs of bullets in each one. He was trained not to put a bullet in exactly the same place. If something was taking more than one bullet to bring down, it would do better to spread out the damage.

"Beautifully done!" The shooter smiled, putting away his gun before turning to regard the man speaking to him. He was wearing a lab coat and his pale blonde hair was free of the white and green hat he often wore. Perhaps someone had recently reminded him of the dress code. "You are so wonderfully efficient. But we need to run a few more tests. Please follow me, Starrk."

"Of course." He agreed instantly before following his handler. That was Kisuke Urahara's designation at this time, although it would eventually change. That thought deeply saddened Starrk. He'd confided all his feelings in Urahara, just as he was supposed to, and he knew his handler was deeply concerned about that sadness. He'd mentioned that it might be a flaw in his programming, something they would need to investigate.

Because Starrk was not human. He was an android. Androids were fairly common and unremarkable, in the modern age. Largely human in nature, they were essentially organic computers. There had been and still was debate on what kind of rights they should be allowed, but at the moment they were considered property on the same lines as a pet dog or cat. Abusing them was illegal and could net very hefty penalties, but otherwise they were objects for humans to use as they saw fit. The androids really didn't mind. No programmer in their right mind would want to give them a capacity for resentment or hate, so the android reaction to a bad situation was usually sadness or pain. They did have the ability to feel anger, but it was quick and fleeting, usually inspired by some outrage towards their owner. Androids rarely felt anger for themselves. They were used now to handle most low paying, low status jobs as well as acting as companions and intelligent pets.

Of course, that was for typical androids. Starrk was far from typical. Androids had a place in the military, although the programming and enhancements for that were specialized and kept top secret. Starrk was one of those military androids, the prototype for a brand new espionage model. His body was enhanced in every aspect. Speed, endurance, agility and strength. He had immense skill in hand to hand combat and all forms of artillery. He also had the ability to gradually change his appearance, lightening and darkening his hair, even reshaping the planes of his face. And while most androids had special DNA that could be easily recognized as artificial, Starrk's was different. His saliva and body carried three separate, human DNA codes that he could switch between. It took some time for the switch to be accomplished but if he happened to leave an organic residue behind, he could switch out the compromised code and no longer be vulnerable to that form of identification.

And that was only his physical attributes. Mentally, Starrk had been designed to be a social chameleon. Not too gregarious but not completely silent, he was a strong, steady presence in any gathering. His programmers had been testing him in various social situations, even giving him assignments, and so far he'd performed admirably. He gained trust easily and inspired confidence, leading people to tell him their secrets. Of course, the things he'd gleaned so far had been completely insignificant, although one of the researchers hadn't been pleased to find out what his daughter had actually been doing with her boyfriend. But the fact that he'd gotten a teenage girl to open up to him in less than an hour was promising for the android's future.

The one blot on his record was his devotion to his handler. This was the very first time anyone had tried to create an espionage based android and there were certain problems. Spies were normally quite fanatical about their devotion to their country and people. Expecting an android to care about such a thing, though, was absurd. It was too nebulous, too difficult to define. Androids tended to be rather concrete in their thinking and Starrk was no exception. So instead, his creators had given him an intense devotion to the human designated as his handler. Starrk would respond to anyone who had the correct signs and countersigns, but the one person he would obey above all others was his handler. The emotional connection was deep and abiding.

And that was a problem. Kisuke was only a temporary handler. Eventually, when all the kinks were ironed out and everyone was satisfied with his performance, Starrk would go into the field. By that time there would probably be several new androids from his line undergoing the same performance tests. Then he would get a new handler… and that would only be the first handler in a long line of them. Starrk's heart hurt at the thought but spies did die, people retired, things changed. His human handler would have to change, but how could he continue bonding to them? Starrk was fairly sure that after the first few transitions his heart would harden, refusing to truly accept a new handler. Did the humans think that was a desirable outcome? Perhaps they did, if he continued to serve his handler faithfully. The thought pained him, deeply.

Starrk sighed to himself as Kisuke began the next series of tests. A strange man was with him and Starrk looked at him curiously. He had dark hair, a scraggly beard and a friendly smile. Starrk liked him immediately although the android couldn't have said why. It was just something about him, something that seemed, well, nice. After a moment Starrk decided not to overanalyze it. If he'd been on a mission, maybe it would have been important but here? Not really.

"Now, Starrk, this is Kurosaki Isshin. He's one of our newer researchers and for the next two weeks he'll be your handler." Kisuke said cheerfully and Starrk winced a little. "I'm going on vacation in Mexico!" That made the android smile, happy for his mentor.

"Oh. That's wonderful. Will you bring me a souvenir?" He said teasingly and Urahara laughed. They both knew he would have no use for such things.

"Perhaps an earring. I think it would look wonderful on you." Kisuke teased him right back. He was forbidden to have piercings or other body modifications at this stage in his development. Before he went onto the field he might be given something, depending on what segment of society he'd be infiltrating, but not yet. "Now, Isshin, what do you think?" He asked and Starrk turned his attention to the other man. He was honestly curious to hear what he thought of him.

"He's remarkable. I've never seen an android act so human before." Isshin sounded impressed and Starrk nodded to himself. Giving an android the kind of social skills he possessed was not easy at all and very expensive. There might be a few very rich individuals who owned such androids, but not many. "Can he play chess?"

"Ask him yourself." Urahara invited and Isshin turned that friendly smile on Starrk. He was honestly enchanted.

"Can you play chess, Starrk?" He asked and the young android answered immediately.

"Oh yes. Also Go, Checkers, Xianqi, Shogi…" He was going to continue but Isshin laughed.

"You play everything then. Excellent! I would love a game. My son doesn't enjoy it and we don't get together much anymore." Isshin seemed slightly sad for a moment and Starrk wondered why. Although…

"Well, I don't play everything. I don't play Bagh-chal, for instance. That's Nepalese." He added as Isshin looked a bit confused. "I looked up a list of games similar to chess."

"He has a photographic memory. It's not something we were trying for, it just happened." Urahara said and Starrk nodded. With androids of his caliber, odd mental quirks could easily come about. It was part of the extensive and complicated mental connections required for such demanding work. "That's not the most impressive thing he can do, though. Starrk, why don't you show him your talent?"

"Certainly." Starrk smiled as he stood, going over to a nearby bookshelf and finding his notepad and pencils. Flipping it to a blank page he took a seat and just looked at Isshin for a moment. Then he began to sketch, his hand moving unerringly across the page as he brought the image in his mind to life. "There." It was only a quick sketch, a head and shoulders picture of Isshin. He was smiling, that smile that Starrk liked so much. He offered the sketch pad to the researcher, who took it and stared at the picture in something close to shock.

"That… is remarkable. I've never heard of an android having a talent for artwork before." He said after a moment and Starrk nodded. Androids generally had no truly creative gifts. They could copy a picture or play a composition, but their efforts were usually mechanically accurate, nothing that would ever inspire or even hold interest for too long. Starrk's pictures were different. They clearly were the work of an active and creative mind, nothing like the drawings most androids could do.

"Yes, Starrk is the most remarkable android I've ever worked with. It's only a shame that we can't go public with him. Imagine how famous he could be! The next step in android development and it's a secret project." Kisuke sounded wistful and Starrk smiled at him gently. He'd heard his handler's plight before.

"I would prefer not to be well known in any case. Fame seems rather disagreeable to me." The thought of being the centre of attention made Starrk feel a bit itchy. No doubt it was part of his programming but he really preferred to stay unnoticed.

"Well, you definitely won't. A famous spy is an oxymoron." Isshin commented and Starrk nodded. That was certainly true. "Now, perhaps you would like to play chess?"

"I would love to." Starrk said sincerely. Kisuke slipped out, leaving them to get acquainted. As they played they quietly conversed and soon Starrk was learning a great deal about his new handler. Isshin was a medical doctor with a sub-specialty in android architecture and programming. He would be helping to design the next round of physical tests and social scenarios. Starrk actually hoped for more of the social scenarios. He always quite enjoyed them. He also learned that Isshin had two daughters and a son. Their mother was dead, she'd died some time ago in an accident. Starrk could hear the wistfulness in the man's voice when he mentioned her and it saddened him slightly. It seemed wrong, that such a kind man had lost someone so dear.

The next few days passed uneventfully. Starrk adjusted to his new handler and found he almost enjoyed the experience. Of course, Kisuke was not gone forever. Would that have changed his feelings, if he had been? Starrk wasn't entirely sure. Perhaps his affection was more transferable than he'd thought. Starrk really didn't like that thought, though. Shouldn't he be true to the object of his feelings?

"Perhaps I should stop reading romance novels." He muttered to himself as he absently kicked a robot to pieces. He was trying to make it through a drone scenario today. The robots involved would hurt him but not actually kill him and the young android was actually quite enjoying the danger. He tore the leg off one robot and used the hard metal to knock the head off another. Then he launched himself up and over the remaining two in a titanic jump before hitting the red switch. The remaining robots all went dead and Starrk smiled in pleasure. The scenario was over.

"Well done!" Isshin said before clapping his hands. Starrk looked at him with a fond smile. The doctor was always so happy when the android completed a task well, it felt like he might be his son. Then the door hissed open and Starrk's eyes went wide. The man who had just entered the training room was wearing black, a stretchy material that screamed 'infiltration' to the spy unit. The mask on his face was clearly meant to represent an Oni and the sub-machine gun in his hands was quite clearly the authentic article.

"ISSHIN!" Starrk screamed as he leapt forward. The doctor's eyes went wide as he registered the android's panic and realized there was something behind him. He was just turning when a spray of bullets hit him. "NO!" Several bullets hit Starrk but they did almost no damage to his enhanced body. The stranger was cool as a cucumber, dropping the gun and pulling out some kind of net?

If it hadn't been for the makeshift club in Starrk's hand, the plan would have worked. The net was designed with capturing a powerful android in mind and it was infused with an electrical charge that would have disabled Starrk easily. But he caught it with the broken robot limb, fouling the cords and causing the electrical current to short circuit. And then Starrk was on him. The man tried to fight, drawing a knife, but the android was simply too fast. And young though he might be, combat routines had been programmed into him then rehearsed many, many times. Starrk's learning was fresh in his mind and he reacted beautifully. Soon blood splashed across the floor and the android ignored the dying enemy in favor of his dying friend.

"Isshin… Isshin…" Starrk had never imagined such pain as he fell to his knees beside the body of his handler. Alarms were going off and he could hear distant screams. Something told him that this infiltrator was far from the only one and he needed to get out, get moving, but he couldn't. Isshin was still breathing, wet, halting gasps. Starrk gently stroked back his hair, giving what little comfort he could in these final moments. Those brown eyes, so cloudy and in such pain, focused on him.

"Please… keep… Ichigo… safe…" The doctor rasped out just before he shuddered. Tears slowly slid down Starrk's face as that chest failed to rise, the heart failed to beat. Gently sliding his hand down he looked for a pulse, although he knew he wouldn't find it. Kurosaki Isshin was dead. His handler was gone… but he had been given one final order.

"I will keep him safe for you." Starrk said softly. He knew who Isshin was referring to. His son, the boy that seemed to inspire a strange pain in the man. Starrk had not managed to draw out the reason for it but he sensed it was something Isshin had deeply regretted. "…" Starrk pulled away, glancing at the door with a calm sense of resolution. There was no more time for mourning. Now was for action. Reaching down he picked up the weapon. There were more of them, no doubt searching for him. He would get out of here. Pausing, he carefully freed the broken robot piece to take with him. It had worked admirably here, perhaps it would work again.

And it did. There were more strangers with guns and nets, intent on capturing him for their own nefarious purpose. They needed him alive but the android did not in the least feel the same way. Isshin's death was the most personal outrage he'd suffered today but far from the last. All the staff of the facility were dead, badly injured or fled. Starrk recognized several familiar faces among the dead and that fanned his anger. Android anger was quick and fleeting, but it burned hot when their master had been harmed. All of these people qualified as Starrk's masters, in their own way, and his anger burned fiercely. He killed his enemies without remorse or hesitation.

His goal was not simply to kill, though. His goal was to escape. Starrk knew he was planning to go rogue. If this had been a true mission and his handler had died, Starrk would have either stayed in place until a contact was made or reported to the nearest safe location for reassignment. Following the very personal command of a dead man was not what his ultimate superiors would have wanted from him. But Starrk didn't really care. He had no loyalty to his people and country. His loyalty had been to a man and for a week, that man had been Kurosaki Isshin. He would follow his last command faithfully and if someone didn't like it, too bad.

And to be fair to himself, Starrk was quite sure his ultimate superiors would rather he'd gone rogue in their own territory than be taken by these strangers. Who were they? Some foreign government's agents? Mercenaries who planned to auction him off to the highest bidder? Whoever they were, they meant him ill. They would pry apart his body to find out all his secrets. They could do nothing else, the labs databanks were set to self-destruct at the merest kiss of an unauthorized probe. Starrk himself was more vulnerable to reverse engineering.

Once he was outside the facility, Starrk loped away, moving with a swift and intent motion. He had no interest in the beauty of nature although before, he would have savored it.

He had a mission and it was time to find his target.

* * *

Starrk sipped his coffee as he surreptitiously examined his target.

Finding Kurosaki Ichigo hadn't been hard for him. In a foreign country he would be heavily constrained, but in his own land the android had vast powers. His level of access was high, another reason why he could not fall into enemy hands. Using that security clearance he'd easily located records of Kurosaki Ichigo. Everything from his enrollment at Karakura University to the credit transactions that said he got coffee at this particular shop every morning.

Of course, Starrk hadn't gone here immediately. His first week had been spent setting up his own cover. He'd carefully siphoned off funds from several accounts into his own, secured account. He'd found an apartment, purchasing the minimum amount of furniture for comfort. And he'd altered his appearance. His original face had been slightly boring, meant to blend into the background. Now he decided to go with something more individual, and handsome. If he meant to protect Ichigo it would be best if Starrk was around him at all times and physical beauty would help with that.

Starrk liked the face he'd finally come up with. Dark, chestnut hair fell to shoulder length, framing a face that had only a few imperfections. There was a small downturn on his left eye, the barest hint of a wrinkle when he smiled. Those little things made his beautiful face human, rather than android perfect. Too many designers made that mistake. If something was too perfect, it was easily identified as not real…

Putting that thought aside, Starrk considered his target again. Ichigo had been a surprise to him, largely because of his hair. Really, where had that come from? The orange shade was highly unusual and quite unlike Isshin's black. Surely he didn't dye it… putting that musing aside, Starrk walked to the counter to order some coffee. The girl behind the counter was an android and she took his order with an empty, meaningless smile, quickly writing the initials onto the cups and passing them over to the other barista. Starrk waited patiently for his order, glancing over at Ichigo. His cup of coffee was empty but he showed no signs of leaving, frowning at his laptop. He looked up in surprise as Starrk walked over and set down a cup of coffee beside him.

"It's rather empty here. Do you mind if I join you?" He asked and for a moment he thought Ichigo might refuse. But then the young man looked into his face and a faint blush colored his cheeks before he shrugged.

"If you want." He said and Starrk smiled, taking a seat before passing over one of the coffee drinks. "Huh?" He frowned at it, confused.

"I noticed yours is empty. It's for you." He said easily and Ichigo frowned before he sipped it. Then his eyes widened in surprise.

"A maple macchiato… how did you know?" He asked and Starrk laughed before picking up the other man's empty cup, turning it to show the markings.

"I read starbucks." He said and Ichigo snorted, amused. "I'm Coyote Starrk. You?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo introduced himself with a small smile. "I'm a student at the local university." He offered and Starrk smiled, pleased. He could almost feel his target relaxing.

"What a coincidence! I'm a transfer student." Well, he wasn't yet but he would be when he was finished falsifying the documentation. "I'm getting a degree in art and design." That wasn't ideal, it would have been better if he could share Ichigo's courses, but Starrk had taken one look at the syllabus and winced. He was a highly proficient espionage android, capable of sliding into many roles, but actually taking Ichigo's classes and doing well at them was beyond his ability. It was better not to even try. "I'm anticipating a great career in the fast food industry." He said so sincerely that Ichigo didn't react for a moment. Then he got the joke and snorted.

"Good luck! The androids have that sewn up." He said jokingly before glancing towards the counter. The android girl was wiping it off, oblivious to their interactions. "You'll have to settle for unemployment."

"Ah yes, the joys of living off the largess of the government… but who knows? Maybe I'll have some success." Starrk said lightly before smiling. "Truth to tell, I have a legacy from my parents so money isn't a huge issue." That was true but mainly because Starrk had no scruples about stealing. And his skills in the cyber realm along with his security clearance made him second to none.

"I wish I had that problem." Ichigo suddenly sounded very sad and Starrk watched as he took a big gulp of his coffee. "Did you hear about that attack on the android research facility?" He asked and Starrk nodded.

"Yes, it was big news." From the speculation, no one had any idea he'd escape the invaders. No, everyone was absolutely sure the brand new android had been stolen. There were all kinds of speculations about where and when he would turn up again, but the general consensus was that he wouldn't be seen again. Reverse engineering an unwilling subject would be extremely fatal, in the end. Starrk was very glad he'd escaped. "Is there some connection to your family?" Otherwise the conversational jump didn't make sense. Ichigo nodded, looking into his coffee.

"My dad worked there. It's so… he'd just joined them a few weeks ago. He was taking over looking after the android while their department head went on vacation. Great timing, huh?" Ichigo laughed and it was a bit ragged. Starrk reached out to gently touch his hand, lending comfort. "He left us with almost nothing. It's not his fault, though… my sister's sick. His insurance covered a lot of it but the rest…" Ichigo stopped and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm telling you all this."

"Because you need someone to talk to." Starrk said quietly and brown eyes flicked up, meeting grey. "How is your sister now?" Money troubles. He hadn't really considered what losing Isshin would mean to the Kurosaki family, hadn't looked into their financial situation. He would have to do that now. Ichigo gave him a small smile.

"She's doing better. The last set of treatments seems to have helped." He clearly didn't want to talk about that so Starrk dropped it, but he wondered. Was his sister's condition terminal? Another thing to look into. "My mother died a long time ago, so I'm taking care of them now. But what about your family? You said you have a legacy." Ichigo asked, clearly meaning to get the conversation off himself. Starrk shrugged.

"I'm an orphan. They died when I was very young. I was raised by my grandmother, but she died when I was in my teens. I took care of myself after that." Starrk said casually. He'd decided on this story as the best way to explain his lack of family and his tendencies towards extreme self-reliance. He was a lone wolf, in a lot of ways. "I just moved here from Tokyo. The big city wasn't for me." That was all he would say on that matter. If anyone ever pried, he'd admit to past drug use. His imagination had painted a life for himself, quite vividly. "I have a trust fund but it's set up so that I'll only have full access to it after I graduate university. My grandmother did that." He said in a slightly suffering tone and Ichigo laughed. "It's probably for the best. I can be a bit free with my money." In actuality, Starrk just didn't think of money as important. It was a resource to be used, nothing else. Ichigo smiled, sipping on his coffee and Starrk took a drink of his. The mocha latte was delicious, hot and flavorful.

"Well, it's been nice meeting you Starrk. But I really have to get to classes. Will you be here tomorrow?" Ichigo asked and there was just a trace of wistfulness in his tone. He wanted to meet this handsome stranger again. Starrk nodded, pleased with the reaction.

"Yes, certainly. The same time?" He asked and Ichigo nodded. Then he packed up his laptop before leaving, drink in hand. Starrk watched him go, sipping his mocha thoughtfully. For a moment he considered tailing the young man, making absolutely sure nothing happened to him, but then he set the thought aside. The odds of a horrible accident were low and Starrk wanted to make absolutely certain he did nothing to mess this up. Soon, if he played his cards right, he could walk beside Ichigo as he went to school.

It was time for Operation Entering Kurosaki Ichigo's Life to begin.

* * *

The Operation Starrk had assigned to himself was soon progressing nicely.

It was a bit tricky for him though. Starrk knew he had to be careful. If he'd been a simple robot, a stupid automaton, he might have attempted to keep Ichigo in a cage. That would keep him 'safe', now wouldn't it? But fortunately, he was an android. Even the lowliest android would understand that 'safe' was more than just a state of the body. Starrk understood that 'safe' meant so many things, including happy, healthy and sane. For Ichigo to be truly 'safe' he needed to be allowed to live his life, take risks, and become everything he could possibly be. Starrk's place was simply to create the conditions that would allow the boy to flourish.

That was much harder than it seemed. Ichigo did have money problems, and huge ones. As Starrk had suspected, Kurosaki Yuzu's condition was terminal. It was also expensive, the treatments they were giving her to extend her life in the hope that a cure for her condition could be found. Starrk briefly considered ending her life to end the strain on Ichigo, but then rejected the idea. Part of his skills included assassination but it was not something to be used frivolously. And again, he was not a stupid robot. He could obey the spirit as well as the letter of orders and Starrk was sure that if Isshin had had a few moments more, his dying instructions would have included Karin and Yuzu. They weren't his primary target but Starrk mentally added them to his 'to be protected' list.

Ichigo was working very hard, holding down two jobs as he tried to keep up his course load. Starrk was somewhat astonished that he was able to survive on so little sleep. Almost the only down time the teen allowed himself was their daily meetings in the coffee shop. Starrk had enrolled himself in his classes and was soon walking with Ichigo to the bus stop every day. But he needed more.

Ichigo's part time jobs were both waiter ones. He took all kinds of shifts, working them around his schoolwork. Starrk finally decided the best way to get closer to him was to get a job himself. Such places always had openings and it was easy enough to falsify a record of employment to show he was experienced in such duties. And Starrk knew he could handle them easily. That was one of the covers programmed into him and he'd actually been tested on it by Urahara, spending a night as a waiter at a five star restaurant. He'd received some very generous tips.

This wasn't five star dining, however. Starrk pulled on his uniform before glancing himself over. Black slacks, white dress shirt embroidered with the company logo. It was really very generic. Checking himself over in the bathroom mirror he nodded before starting out. He wasn't sure if Ichigo would be working tonight but it would be –

"Starrk!" Ah, he was in luck. His target was looking at him wide-eyed. "What are you doing here?" He sounded a touch shocked and Starrk could guess why. Ichigo thought he had no problems with money. So why would Coyote Starrk be spending time in a diner rather than working on his art?

"Trying to earn some extra money." He admitted, faking a bit of embarrassment. "My trust fund… it's rather limited, in a lot of ways. If I want to do something special for March break I either need to save or make a bit extra. And I'm terrible at saving." That was actually the truth and a slight flaw in his programming. Starrk found budgets to be both constraining and boring. What was money for, anyway, if not to live a little? Ichigo managed a smile although it was slightly forced. Starrk imagined that he was envious.

"Oh, I see. Well, let me show you the ropes." They had to clear that with the assistant manager, but soon Ichigo was showing him how the routines at this restaurant went. Starrk easily fell into his role, handling it with grace and charisma. It helped that to him, it was not at all demanding. His feet didn't hurt, his body didn't ache and hot plates could be handle with bare hands. The tips were reasonably good, except for one family who gave him an absolutely terrible tip for no discernible reason. Starrk was still puzzling about that when Ichigo joined him outside for a cigarette break. Not that either of them smoked, but it was good to get some air.

"Are you wondering about table fifteen?" He asked and Starrk blinked, surprised. It was like Ichigo had read his mind. "They never tip well. The guy in the family pays and he's a dick."

"Ah, I see." Starrk knew some people were like that. It saddened the android slightly. He couldn't understand the mindset at all, that led people to be unpleasant for no reason. Perhaps that was a flaw in his programming but honestly, he didn't want to understand that. "It's a beautiful evening, isn't it?" The sun was still in the process of setting. They couldn't see much of interest in this back alley but the air was very pleasant, crisp and cool. Ichigo shrugged, looking away pensively. As Starrk glanced at him he could see the signs of fatigue, the heavy weight on those young shoulders.

"I suppose. It's a bit cool though. But we should be getting back." He said and Starrk nodded. Going back into the restaurant, they went back to work.

After the shift was done they were both tidying various things when a man with red hair came in. Starrk looked at him in surprise and some curiosity. The restaurant was closed now but the staff had let him in… who was this?

"Hey Ichigo!" That call peaked his curiosity more and Starrk examined the young man thoughtfully. His red hair was pulled into a ponytail and he had the most amazing set of tattoos the android had ever seen. "How are ya?"

"Pretty good. I'll be done in a moment, Renji." Renji. Starrk filed the name away in his mind. He guessed that they were friends. Ichigo spotted him looking and smiled. "This is my roommate. Hey Renji, this is the guy I told you about. Coyote Starrk." Starrk nodded at the introduction, rolling up silverware in napkins.

"Oh yeah? Nice to meet you coffee shop man!" Renji said with a grin and offered him a hand. Starrk took it with a smile, carefully controlling his strength. "I'm just here to give Ichigo a lift home. Transit doesn't run out here on Sundays." He said and Starrk nodded. He knew that. Then Ichigo suddenly spoke up, frowning.

"Hey Starrk, how are you getting home?" He asked and the android froze. He'd actually been planning to jog home. He would keep his pace reasonable… his running pace was terrifyingly swift… but it would still take him several hours. That didn't bother him in the least, his requirements for sleep were low and he enjoyed just thinking. But Ichigo knew where he lived, knew how far it was. Telling him he was going to run home… no. "You don't have a car, do you?"

"No. I… public transit doesn't run on Sunday? I thought it did." Starrk said, trying to sound lost and confused. "It got me here…" Buses did run on Sunday, just not as late. Renji looked sympathetic.

"You probably read the Saturday schedule, I do that all the time. They end a lot earlier on Sundays. Hey, I can give you a lift though." Renji said and Starrk accepted instantly.

"Thank you very much." He said gratefully. This was actually preferable, he could spend his time painting instead of jogging. His brand new set of paints was getting a great deal of use, as he tried to perfect the techniques he was learning in his classes. Renji waved it away with a smile.

"It's nothing! And I want to get to know the guy my roommate keeps talking about." He said with a slightly teasing note and Starrk blinked. Glancing over at Ichigo he saw the teenager was turning a little pink. That was odd and he wasn't entirely sure what it meant. But then, he hadn't completed all his social scenarios and there were a lot of things that needed to be practiced. Programming couldn't teach him everything. In a lot of ways, it was only a start.

He would have to figure it out later.


	2. Is He or Isn't He?

"Holy shit Ichigo." Renji glanced in the rearview mirror as they pulled away from Starrk's apartment complex. "Now I see what you're talking about. That man is fucking hot!" Ichigo blushed and felt a moment of jealousy, although he knew it was stupid. Renji wasn't gay, he was just noticing what any person with a pulse would notice.

"Yeah." Ichigo glanced back to see Starrk waving at them. Smiling, he waved back until they turned the corner. "He really is." He whispered, wishing, more than anything, that he dared tell his friend about his feelings.

He had designs on Starrk's body. Actually, not designs. More like brochures, architectural diagrams, entire pornography magazines dedicated to that enticing body. It was like Starrk had been designed with him in mind. Tall, dark and handsome, just the way he liked it. The goatee of his made him seem so debonair he could just swoon. And that little smile of his… Ichigo was in lust. He just couldn't help it. Sighing, he looked down at his hands.

He didn't dare tell Starrk about his feelings. The other man had given him no signs of real interest and Ichigo was afraid that he wasn't gay. He was also worried about how Starrk would react to the news of his sexuality. His father hadn't taken it well… Ichigo pushed that painful thought away. He didn't know if his dad would ever have gotten over it and he wouldn't, now. The pain from that wound was still raw.

"You should ask him out Ichigo. Seriously, he came right up to you in a coffee shop. I bet he's interested." Renji said positively and Ichigo wished he thought his friend was right. But…

"He was brand new here from Tokyo, Renji. It doesn't really mean anything." Unfortunately, Ichigo was pretty sure of that. Starrk made friends easily, although there was always something a touch distant about him. Like there were secrets hidden in those calm grey eyes. That just made him sexier, in Ichigo's opinion. "I don't want to lose his friendship." That was a huge worry for him.

"If he's really as nice as you say, he won't run off just because you're gay." Renji said as he navigated the road. "And seriously Ichigo, he's been buying you coffee all the time. I bet he wants you."

"Maybe." He said, mostly to stave of his friend. He wasn't going to take chances with Starrk's friendship so early. Although… "Maybe in a month or two. I'll know better by then." Maybe Starrk would have made his intentions clear by then. "Although where I'll invite him…" Ichigo sighed as he thought of it. Where could he take Starrk? A dinner date, the movies? Everything cost money and that was one thing he didn't have.

"A park or something. Maybe a petting zoo. You can borrow my car." Renji said encouragingly as he pulled into the underground parking, easily finding their assigned stall. Ichigo got out, smiling as he shut the car door.

"Thanks Renji." That would make things a lot easier, especially since Renji wasn't asking for gas money. Not that he would, his roommate and best friend knew all about his problems. For the rest of the night, Ichigo tried to concentrate on his studying. It was hard, though. Images of distant, thoughtful grey eyes kept intruding. Finally giving up, he went to sleep.

Tomorrow would be another day.

* * *

Starrk considered how to begin phase two of his operation.

He and Ichigo had been friends now for several months. There was something a bit odd about Ichigo, though, something the android couldn't quite place. Slightly strange glances toward him, the occasional shift of his tone. And Renji seemed slightly exasperated at something. Starrk knew he should be able to understand what was happening, but he couldn't. Was it some part of his programming that hadn't been tested? The social scenarios were meant as practice, giving him a chance to use and assimilate the underlying programming.

But that had nothing to do with phase two. Phase two was simple… give Ichigo some money. Like much about his assignment, it wasn't as simple as it sounded. He couldn't just hand Ichigo some cash. The teen would refuse and have far too many questions about why a relative stranger would hand him thousands of dollars. Resting a chin in his hand, Starrk considered the matter carefully. How could he get some money into Ichigo's hands? A legacy from an unknown, distant and deceased relative? He could probably jiggle the government's records enough to make it convincing… Sighing to himself the android opened the newspaper. He was at the coffee shop, waiting for Ichigo. His target was late and he knew why.

When Ichigo finally came in, he looked like hell. There were dark circles under his eyes and he simply seemed exhausted. Starrk wondered how he could possibly function during his classes like this. His own artificial body had ways to keep awake for days, if necessary, but even for him that extracted a cruel toll.

"Hi Starrk." Ichigo slumped into his seat and Starrk nodded before pushing over a cup of coffee. "You know, you really don't have to buy me coffee all the time." He said tiredly before taking a sip and blinking. "What is this?"

"A raspberry expresso. I think you need it." He said and Ichigo grimaced before taking another sip. The sweetness along with the caffeine was exactly what his system needed. "You know, you won't do your sister any good if you work yourself into a nervous breakdown." He said quietly and Ichigo shook his head.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." He said and Starrk hid his doubts. Instead, he nodded before making a suggestion.

"You aren't working Sunday evening, are you? Why don't you come with me to a club? I'll buy you a few drinks and you can listen to the music and unwind." He suggested and Ichigo's eyes widened. Then Starrk reached out to gently touch his hand, trying to forge an emotional connection. "Bring Renji too. We can all have a good time."

"I – I can't afford…" Ichigo didn't pull his hand away, though, and Starrk smiled as he gave his target a gentle squeeze.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure Renji and I can pay the cover for you. And I'll buy you some drinks." Not too much, Ichigo didn't need a hangover, but enough to make him happy. Starrk didn't actually know a single thing about nightclubs – he'd never been to one and his abortive training hadn't included it – but he'd learned a bit from his programming and listening to other students. At this stage in his life, Ichigo should be interested in such things. His friend took a deep breath, his brown eyes a bit wide and strangely bright as he nodded.

"Sure. Should we get together after supper, around six or so?" Ichigo said and Starrk nodded with a smile.

"That sounds good. Ask and see if Renji wants to come, I bet he would enjoy it." He encouraged the young man who nodded, smiling shyly. "Now, did you want any help studying?" Ichigo often used him to ask him questions from his medical texts. Starrk could comprehend the questions and even answer a surprising number of them. Of course, his knowledge of human anatomy was rather specialized. Soon he had a text and was quizzing Ichigo on his recent lessons.

Hopefully, a weekend out for drinks would cheer his target up. And maybe Starrk could figure out a way to get some money into his hands.

* * *

"I'm not coming." Renji said adamantly as Ichigo shot him a fond but exasperated look.

"Starrk really wants you to come, Renji." Ichigo was sure of that. The warmth in his friend's voice when he mentioned his roommate… if Renji had been gay Ichigo would have been jealous. Although Starrk wasn't really showing much interest in Renji, fortunately. Then he really would have been jealous.

"Yeah, but you should have some time to yourself with him." Renji said sincerely and Ichigo glanced down. Renji had a point but…

"Yeah, but it might be awkward. Baby steps, right?" Ichigo said and Renji shook his head. "Besides, I would like to spend some time with you. How often do I go out?" That was certainly true. Between all of his work and studying, he hardly got to spend any time at all with his best friend.

"Well… you have a point there. But are you sure? You don't want to be alone with him?" Renji asked and Ichigo hesitated a moment before nodding.

"Not yet. I'm… we've only known each other a few months. I don't want to do something stupid." Like scare Starrk away. He still didn't know if he was gay. Ichigo bit his lip, wondering if he should just ask. Maybe Renji could do it for him? "If you want to help me out you could ask if he likes guys." He suddenly said and Renji's eyes widened.

"Um, no! He might take that totally the wrong way! What if he thinks I'm into him? You could be stabbing yourself in the foot with that!" He protested and Ichigo winced at the thought. "You should ask him yourself, seriously."

"Soon." Hopefully soon he would get the guts to ask Starrk about his sexuality. But he always remembered his dad, his reaction to it. That hadn't gone well at all. Ichigo took a deep breath, forcing back the pain. He'd only come out to his dad six months before he'd died. Could they have gotten past it? It hurt so much… reaching up, he rubbed his eyes for a moment. "C'mon, let's go. He's probably waiting for us."

He was. Starrk was hanging out outside the club, waiting for them. The object of his desires had his back to a brick wall, his head tilted back as he gazed up at the sky. It was a cloudy day and not particularly interesting but something about it seemed to fascinate Starrk. Ichigo glanced up and smiled. The clouds seemed like the same shade of grey as his friend's eyes.

"Ichigo, Renji!" Starrk pushed himself away from the wall with a smile as they walked up. Ichigo smiled back as Renji grinned, giving his friend a wave. "I'm glad you came, the band sounds good." He glanced at the door. It was possible to hear a bit of the sounds and the band did sound pretty decent.

"Of course we came. So we're covering the charge for Ichi-berry?" Renji said and Ichigo punched him in the shoulder with a scowl.

"Don't call me that!" He snapped. He really hated that stupid nickname, it reminded him of his annoying cousin. Shiro had always loved calling him that, using it to wind him up. He'd only been a child and it had worked every time. Starrk laughed and Ichigo couldn't help but blush.

"Ichi-berry, I'll have to remember that… and yes, the cover is ten dollars." That was pretty low for this club but it was Sunday. Not exactly the high time for nightclubs. Getting into line they paid the charge and soon they were inside, soaking up the ambiance.

It really wasn't bad. The place wasn't full so there was room to move around. They took seats at the bar and got some too expensive shots. Starrk didn't seem to care about the price, though, buying a round for all of them.

"So this is a Red Baron?" Starrk lifted the glass up to examine it thoughtfully. "I wonder what it is." It looked like a layer of something floating on a layer of something else. The colors were a bit hard to see in the lights of the club.

"It's cinnamon schnapps floating on peppermint liquor." Renji supplied helpfully as he drank his shot. "I do bartending on weekends."

"Oh?" Starrk was suddenly interested and Ichigo couldn't help but feel a sharp stab of jealousy. Why did his best friend have to be so fascinating? "What would you recommend?"

"Try the Chocolate Cake, it's a lot of fun." Renji recommended and Starrk ordered them a second round of shots. Ichigo felt a touch concerned about it. The prices here really were outrageous but… if Starrk was treating them… soon he had his drink and he drank it back, savoring the flavor of the hazelnut liquor before biting into the sugared lemon slice. "You haven't been to places like this much, have you?"

"No. In Tokyo, the crowd I ran with more favored dive bars, the dirtier the better. And before I went to Tokyo I was quite an innocent child." Starrk sounded slightly amused. He picked up a card and examined it. Ichigo had already glanced those over… this place served a small selection of food, mostly upscale bar snacks. "Hm, interesting… I remember one particularly surly bartender. He decided what you wanted. It made things simple, anyway. I learned to like whiskey very, very quickly."

"What, really? Why would you go to a place like that?" Ichigo asked, surprised. Starrk gave him a small smile that seemed full of secrets and Ichigo felt his heart doing a backflip.

"I had my reasons." Was all he said and Ichigo stared at him as he went back to the card. Did the dark man have any idea what he was doing to him? He seemed completely oblivious. "Did you want any food to soak up the alcohol? Coconut shrimp… that sounds delicious."

"Sure, why not? We're going halfsies, right?" Renji asked and Starrk looked puzzled. "Splitting the bill, I mean." He specified and the dark man blinked before laughing and making a small throw away gesture.

"Ah, let it be my treat. You can catch me next time." He said and Ichigo swallowed his drink. He was generous too. Why was life so unfair, sending him the man of his dreams who was probably straight?

"Did you want to dance?" He asked boldly and Starrk looked up, a hint of surprise flashing across that handsome face. Then he looked at the dance floor thoughtfully.

"Perhaps… I wonder if any of the ladies would care to dance with us?" He mused and Ichigo felt his heart drop to his feet. Sharing a glance with Renji he saw his friend had an expression of disbelief on his face. "Why don't we find out?" He said and Ichigo swallowed hard.

"Uh, sure." He said, for lack of anything better to say. And for the first time in years, he ended up dancing with a girl. Starrk did marvelously at picking up a trio of them. Ichigo's partner was an incredibly short, dark haired girl named Rukia while Starrk was dancing with a dark skinned beauty with golden eyes. Renji had drawn the short end of the stick, amusingly… he was dancing with an android girl who belonged to the beauty. She kept shooting her mistress and Starrk sharp glances, clearly unhappy about the situation. It didn't seem to help that the lovely woman was laughing at something Starrk had said. What was her name again… Yoruichi? After dancing Starrk asked the girls over to their table and Ichigo stifled a groan. He was just being his usual, friendly self but Starrk didn't understand…

"This is great!" Yoruichi said as she downed a – what was it? Right, a Buttery Nipple. The android, a rather pretty model named Soi Fon, drank hers with practiced ease. Rukia handled hers easily and Ichigo smiled as Renji started to chat her up. She was definitely his type. "Thanks for the drinks, we appreciate it ever so much." Her voice was a warm purr and Ichigo's jealousy was intense. But Starrk's smile was merely friendly.

"I'm glad you like them." He said sincerely before tossing back his own drink. Ichigo frowned a bit to himself. How many of them had Starrk had? But from what he'd said, he'd practiced quite a bit on straight whiskey. Surely he was fine.

The first hint that something was wrong came when the bill arrived. The bartender had let them build up a tab – he knew Renji – but when it was clear they were done, well, it was time to pay. Starrk squinted at the terminal with a very intense, thoughtful expression. It reminded Ichigo of someone attempting to do calculus while simultaneously juggling a half-dozen balls.

"Interesting. I can't seem to… what is thirty percent of this total?" He asked and Ichigo blinked. That was an extremely generous tip. Yoruichi coo'd a bit as he took the terminal, working it out for Starrk.

"Oh, I love a generous man who's bad with math! It always turns out so well for me." She said with a grin and Starrk smiled back, but vaguely. Ichigo passed back the terminal and Starrk entered his code, accepting the total as accurate. Then he stood. The movement was smooth, normal, and fooled him completely.

Then Starrk tried to walk and tripped over his own feet before falling flat on his face. There was a clatter as a chair fell over and that attracted the bartender's attention. Ichigo knelt down beside Starrk, gripping his shoulder as the man pushed himself up. His grey eyes were narrowed with an odd look of concentration.

"Motor sensors badly inhibited. Attempting to compensate." He said and Ichigo blinked. That was just weird… then Yoruichi spoke, delighted.

"Oh, that was just how Soi Fon reacted the first time she got drunk! Remember Soi Fon? I bet he had an android when he was a child!" She said and Ichigo wondered if she was right. He put Starrk's arm over his shoulder and helped the man stagger to his feet. He was blinking owlishly, now.

"I… appear to be badly inebriated. How strange… I didn't notice." He said, sounding lost and confused. Ichigo nodded.

"It happens like that, sometimes. It's easy not to notice when you're sitting but when you try to stand…" He said sympathetically and Starrk nodded. Then Yoruichi moved up to his other side, supporting him there.

"I'd ask if you want to come home with me, but you're not that into me, are you? Just having fun, you little tease." She said in her warm, bedroom voice and Ichigo stared. Then he swallowed as she gave him a saucy wink. Had she guessed that he…? But he hadn't really been able to stop himself from glancing wistfully at Starrk. Starrk was silent for a moment, trying to engage his brain. But then he managed it and laughed.

"Ah, guilty as charged. Just having a good night on the town, flirting with the ladies… I fear… oh dear." They helped him into a chair as he wavered. Starrk dropped his head into his hands, rubbing his face as he tried to sober up.

"He's not driving home, is he?" That was the bartender and Ichigo looked up to see the man scowling at them. "I can't let him go like that, unless he's taking a taxi." Starrk lifted his head, blinking.

"I had planned to run home but now I can't." He said vaguely and Ichigo stared at him. "I fear I would trip and break my head and then there would be bits of me everywhere. White bone, red blood, grey brain matter – "

"Ew, gross!" Yoruichi slapped him upside the back of his head, which struck Ichigo as a rather cruel thing to do to a man who was drunk out of his mind. Although…

"That's silly Starrk. It would take you forever to run home. Renji can pay for the taxi." He said and his friend just shrugged, smiling willingly.

"Yeah, sure, I got it. We're going different directions so we should get two." He pulled out his cell phone and placed the call. Sunday evenings were hardly busy and the nightclub area always had plenty of taxis around, so it didn't take long for one to pull up. "You girls need a lift?"

"Nah, we're good! Soi Fon's the designated driver, she has an alcohol filter so she can get rid of the effects at any time." Yoruichi said and Starrk looked up, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Really? What a curious thing…" He murmured but didn't continue as Ichigo helped him to his feet. Renji got the other side and soon they managed to pour Starrk into his taxi. The dark man managed to give the driver directions and they both watched it pull away.

"I'm buzzed but nowhere near that trashed. He did have more though." Renji observed and Ichigo nodded. "I hate to break it to you, but I think he might be straight."

"Yeah." Ichigo said sadly. Even if Starrk had just been flirting with Yoruichi, he clearly hadn't thought about Ichigo at all. Maybe the dark man just didn't find him attractive? He wasn't as well built, not anymore. There was no time for the gym with all his commitments. And his habits weren't the best, between his lack of sleep and caffeine addiction. "Well, he's still a great friend." Ichigo said bravely as their own cab pulled up. Soon they were going home and Ichigo resolved not to think about his attraction again.

Starrk was a great friend. He didn't want to mess it up.


End file.
